Lake house in Spencer total loss after fire

SPENCER — A lake house is a total loss after a raging three-alarm fire.

Around 5:45 p.m. Saturday, the fire department received a call of a fire at 13 Lake Ave., which is on the edge of Stiles Reservoir.

Arriving at the scene, emergency responders saw heavy fire in the basement and the first floor on the left side of the house, with heavy smoke coming out of the entire house, Fire Chief Robert P. Parsons said.

"The house is a total loss," Chief Parson said. "The house is caving in on itself right now. The fire burned completely through to the basement right through the first floor."

Because the house is one of the farthest places in town from the fire department, firefighters had to lay lines from the causeway on Clark Road and portable pumps on Stiles Reservoir, Chief Parsons said.

Leicester, Paxton, Charlton and Brookfield fire departments were called in to assist.

A young couple and their infant child, who are renting the house, were not home at the time of the fire. No one was hurt.

The origin and cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, Chief Parsons said.